The Engoodening of No Man's Sky - Renfail Reacts

[@notawildthingy]

As a big fan of Minecraft, I was very interested in NMS leading up to launch, but I didn't have any skin in the game because even then I didn't pre-order games. After launch, the negative press and reviews dissuaded me from buying it and trying it for myself. At that point I let it go and forgot about it for years until Internet Historian's video dropped on YT 4 years ago. That video's explanation of Hello Games redemption arc single handedly motivated me to get NMS. I still don't have an insane amount of hours into the game, but what I have played has been very enjoyable and still highly recommend the game. There have been roughly 20 Major updates to the game since 'The Engoodening of NMS' was posted and 14 separate expeditions. I say roughly because it's somewhat subjective to what is a major update and what's not, given your background, I'm sure you can relate.

[@Renfail]

Lots of fun to be sure!

[@TheTylerpoe]

Love the Engoodening of NMS. it’s so fun, insightful and a cautionary tale. All wrapped up with some erotic fan fiction 😂 It would be so cool if they did a 5-10 minute follow-up video covering the last 4 years

[@Renfail]

indeed

[@qwesx]

From the top of my head, these things were added to the game since the release of the video: - Derelict freighters and improving your own freighter - Pirate systems, freighters and Solar starships - Dissonant worlds and Sentinel starships - Linux, Mac and Switch support (the former via Valve's Steam Deck verification process) - Full crossplay between all platforms and a merge of the discovery database (some people not being too happy about the latter since "their" discovery got overwritten by some guy on a Playstation who found the same place a week earlier lol) - Expeditions - A new hidden race - The redesign of space stations (notably the pirate stations kept their previous layout and so did abandoned space stations) And also *continuous* improvements in the UI and graphics. The World update did bring nicer looking water, shadows, wind effects and volumetric clouds, but it's not actually a massive improvement in graphical fidelity compared to the version just before that (i.e. if you check the Echoes update trailer you'll find that the game still looks very similar). But it's nice that all the game "journalists" found a sensationalist headline to bring in new players to the game 😉 (even though they just care about their ad clicks anyway).

[@Renfail]

very cool!

[@vincevirtua]

Tbf Sean himself was the guy who brought most of those new players, he's in the update video.

[@er_burroughs]

You are so late to this NMS party, but as a day one player, I’m glad you showed up! I love your attitude and enthusiasm. ❤

[@Renfail]

better late than never

[@LittleBlue42]

Actually, looking back, I think they kinda had to wait for hardware to catch up to make the game they really wanted to. I have been playing with engines like unreal and unity for about 10 years now as a hobby, and I very quickly realize how scope creep can become an issue. You just want to make a crazy good game, it's very exciting. He probably was not consciously aware of any malice while talking about the game, he was EXCITED to make a great game. Its really really fun making games when you are passionate about your project. The best feeling I've ever had, and it's hard to contain that excitement.

[@Renfail]

Ayep

[@jmike2039]

Your point about gamers hearing what they want and focusing on some small things a dev said it's so accurate

[@Renfail]

People have active imaginations.

[@Lordoftheapes79]

That's not unique to gamers...

[@jmike2039]

@@Lordoftheapes79 did I make the claim that it was unique to gamers? Don't lower yourself to a 7 IQ. The propostion I stated is perfectly compatible without any consideration of uniqueness or being sui generis. You must be one of those gamers that likes to hear things that were never said. The irony is so thick you could cut it with a knife.

[@Lordoftheapes79]

@@jmike2039 somebody got butthurt over nothing.

[@jmike2039]

@@Lordoftheapes79 you literally did the thing we were talking about where you just heard something you wanted to hear and were wrong about it. Do you concede I never said anything about that being unique to gamers? Don't make dumb comments if you can't handle the consequences, dolt.

[@aurenian8247]

As far as monetisation goes I think the fact that they don't have shareholders breathing down their necks for profit is the main factor that allows them do to things the way they do in addition to the relatively small team size. As long as they can cover their costs and make some money then they can do whatever they want. They don't have to beat last year's number, they just have to stay in the black. I also think that while big studios do have more costs some monetisation options are inherently wrong. Transactions that are pay to win. Making the game extra grindy and selling a shortcut. Cosmetic transactions that are time limited. Selling a roll on the dice to maybe get something aka lootboxes. Battle passes I'm not fond of but I'm not sure if I would say they are inherently wrong or if I just haven't seen a good implementation of it. Some that I think are ok. Cosmetic transactions that don't time out. Subscription fees. Cosmetic DLC that doesn't split the community. Expansions I don't mind as long as the base game is actually finished and the expansion itself is worth the money you pay for it. Honestly I'd prefer to see more studios just make a game good enough to sell well enough to fund themselves for whatever they want to do next. But I don't know how feasible that is for anyone that has shareholders they have to feed.

[@Renfail]

It's 100% NOT feasible for anyone in a position with shareholders. You have to stay indie if you want to control that spect of any game. Unfortunately, not everyone gets to be Larian Studios (as an example).

[@elsaimmersatt2795]

WarFrame, thats how its done right!

[@vincevirtua]

Oh dude, you hadn't seen this? Awesome. Also if you have the means, I really recommend the VR mode even though the frames got a bit chuggy after the update.

[@Renfail]

yep, first time seeing it

[@jmike2039]

'no Man's sky more like delayed' is the laziest way to break news lol like 'every mans delay' was right there among others 😅

[@Renfail]

hehehehe

[@MandrakeDCR]

Only game I've ever put more than a few hundred hours into. I have over 4k hours in this game. My wife and I play together all the time when I'm on the road, and even when I'm home sometimes. lol It's the biggest, most gorgeous sandbox of all time. A friend let me try it on his PSVR2. If we can ever budget for it, we will get VR at home just for this game. I basically had a friggin' moment when I was able to just look out over my shoulder as I passed through the atmosphere of a planet, on out into space. It's impossible to describe just how BIG this game is. It seems big normally. In VR the vastness of it really just hits your brain on another level.

[@Renfail]

very cool :)

[@TimFisheroo]

I paid 14,99 euros for this game in 2017 and not a cent since and I've gotten all the updates and free VR on PS4 *and* PS5. It's at a point where I feel bad about not paying more for what I've gotten. I can't think of another developer who has done this.

[@Renfail]

it's pretty good!

[@FINKnATOR]

I'll never understand why people in streams tell the streamer what is going to happen next in the video they are watching for the first time.

[@farfuffle]

I couldn't work out why my original save was only a 2018 save until whilst watching this it mentioned that it came to Xbox in 2018. So I checked my old playstation account (not had a ps console in a while unfortunately) and bang, there it was. Hopefully will be able to visit that save at some point in the future - but thanks for showing this as I would have been forever wondering lol

[@Renfail]

Nicely found!

[@Lordoftheapes79]

Tim Cain had an excellent video on the complications of more people in regards to working on Fallout 2. Basically, he need some rudementary code written so he could test whatever he was working on and knew it could be written in just a few hours, but was told it would take weeks due to all the red tape from all the different departments it would have to go thru.

[@Renfail]

Another example of why "more people" doesn't always translate to "better" product.

[@CheatingSoi]

Oh what the hell I was literally thinking about suggesting this to you the other day. Can’t wait to give this a watch after work!

[@Renfail]

It's so good!

[@Scimarad]

You know I could have sworn there were actually space battles in the launch version. And sentinel walkers.

[@Renfail]

No idea!

[@WingManFang1]

I started about a month after the game came out and to be fair it wasn’t as bad as everyone saw on or prerelease during leaks. However I just started using my 8 year old legacy save I left 6 years ago when it became unplayable and having since sunk about 1500 hours in on other saves and I couldn’t believe how weak and barren my game was with 477 hours of gameplay back then. A end game character back then was a 2 hour player now. I have played over 1500 hours of the game exclusively in VR since and cannot look back. I took a break from the game for 2 years but never gave up hope. I enjoyed it so much when it was bad I couldn’t let go. Now it’s my main game and I couldn’t be happier.❤

[@Renfail]

nice

[@ProjectRoleplayAI]

I can't believe I didn't receive the notification for this react

[@Renfail]

Gotta be ready!

[@regista4]

As someone who works in the UK Games Industry I can confirm the salaries are fairly terrible here lol. Certainly much closer to the European salaries you mentioned than the US ones.

[@seanwelch71]

The launch of NMS was excellent. The problem was not with Hello Games, it was the capitalists funding the game.. The power of the purse guides tech companies to release minimally viable products. That's what NMS 1.0 was. MVP's are cheaper and easier to sell and lose money on. Gamers with high expectations should play chess.

[@Lordoftheapes79]

Ooo Dynamic Resonators. I was trying to remember the name of these things the other day. I made the cash to buy my first ship trading these things 😂

[@Renfail]

nice!

[@jeahboy7259]

I used your point on gaming journalism being mostly brand worshipping on x. As I feel that gaming journalism is bullshit these days and needs to get called out. If you don't want me doing that I'll delete my post as I've got full respect for you. It's your call.

[@wolfranger5526]

1:31:41 Ok sorry no not the customers responsibility to make up for "oh i made a poor decision my teams to big and i can't pay them so now it's the customers job to make up the difference so i can keep my staff." Mabey time for you take a paycut Mr. CEO. Your not entitled to a costumers time or money. great video otherwise.

[@Renfail]

Running a business has complexities that go WAY beyond what most people understand.

[@montymccoy5336]

finally beating the ☠️

[@Marquee_Gaming88]

That kotaku is really pain in the but both ign and kotaku are the worst reviewers out there i don't trust these clowns

[@Renfail]

lots of places out there

[@BoltRM]

I like IGN. Don't know anything about Kotaku

[@montymccoy5336]

ola all making progress love ❤️ 😍 💖 this game thanks for all the tips 😊

[@Renfail]

You're so welcome!

[@regista4]

hype

[@Renfail]

yep!

[@nemangame]

I mean, why would i care if Bethesda has hundreds of employees to feed? Obviously all those employees can't make a good product. Just like their sole purpose in gaming is to make as much money to their shareholders, my sole purpose in gaming is to pay as little money as possible for a game. If a game is costing you too much to maintain then shut it down. You don't need to spend millions of dollars a year on marketing, especially if you are a well known studio. Or you can try and leech of the customers and and milk them for hundreds of dollars. Have you watched "The Fall of 76" by Internet Historian?

[@Renfail]

LoL

[@nemangame]

@@Renfail Lol indeed. You are too deep in their ass to see anything outside of the damn dollar

[@saidukanu6517]

👍

[@Renfail]

🍻